China will join Russia later this week for its largest-ever naval drills with a foreign partner, underlining deepening ties between the former cold war rivals along with Beijing’s desire for closer links with regional militaries.
Billionaire Roman Abramovich has resigned from his only government post – chairmanship of the Chukotka regional assembly – to avoid falling foul of a new law banning officials from holding assets abroad, in a development that some analysts said threatened to cut off funding to a remote area of Russia.
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that Mr Snowden had called back his request after the Russian president said the American would have to stop harming US interests if he wanted to stay.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says both Washington and Moscow are seriously committed to organizing an international conference on Syria.
A Moscow court sentenced former billionaire Alexander Lebedev to 150 hours of compulsory community service on Tuesday over a televised minor brawl with a Russian businessman two years ago.
President Vladimir Putin made starkly clear on Monday that Edward Snowden was not welcome in Russia, and voiced solidarity with the United States over the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contactor.
Gas exporting countries should focus on decreasing price volatility and ensuring long-term supply stability, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a major gas summit in Moscow on Monday.
Russian lawmakers and officials voiced support for fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden at a round table meeting in the Public Chamber on Monday, in contrast to muted comments by the Kremlin’s spokesperson who has said that Snowden is “not on the Kremlin’s agenda.”
A Russian justice ministry official on Monday claimed that controversial spot checks on NGOs are needed as many operate as a “front” for illicit activity.
The Moscow police department said late on Saturday that it had seized the election leaflets of anti-corruption activist and Moscow mayoral candidate Alexei Navalny, who secured an official nomination for Moscow’s upcoming mayoral race earlier this month.
